Wednesday, 2 June 2010

PRE-ORDER: DJ Naughty - Firepower EP [Roska Kicks & Snares]

UK Funky has been branching out of its thriving London underground roots with great success of late. Names like Lil Silva are getting picked up by Night Slugs, Ill Blue have a Hyperdub release slated in, Altered Natives are dropping a 12” on Martyn’s 3024 label and Roska made funky work over an album on his recently released Rinse presents album. Roska’s Kicks & Snares label has done a lot to help forge the sound he’s gone on to trademark and the next 12” from the imprint, ‘Quicktime’ by DJ Naughty, helps cement his rep as a global representative of this sound.

Stepping up himself with a remix of ‘Quicktime’ Roska adds tough syncopated drum patterns that roll elegantly under a fully loaded sub bass line designed implicitly to make you shake it. The melody pops in and out, all dubby and funky, reminiscent of music one would expect to hear in searing out of portable radios in a Cuban town centre. The highlight of the release though has to be Naughty’s soulful soca roller ‘Firepower;’ it bumps and shimmies at you like a subtle variant of the foundations Scratcha DVA laid in the landscape with his ‘Jelly Roll’ release. Its less loony tunes than that and becomes more meditative, utilising a dub vibe alongside the sine wave workouts. The low down and funky drum workout on ‘Gearshift’ makes your hips move even before the dubbed out samples and bassline drops, a full and proper minimal roller that just keeps going, ready for the long teasing mix.